The invention relates to a door handle assembly for a motor vehicle, having an handle mount attached to the inside of a door or hatch of the motor vehicle, a handle for opening the door or hatch of the motor vehicle, disposed such that it is strake-flush with the door or hatch when in the standby position, and protrudes from the door or hatch when in the actuation position, a lever element that moves the handle from the standby position into the actuation position and back, the first longitudinal end of which is pivotably supported on the handle mount, and the second longitudinal end of which supports the handle, and a transmission element, which is movably supported on the handle mount, and is functionally connected with the lever element, wherein, for a power driven normal operation of the transmission element from a home position into a first normal operating position, in which the transmission element moves the handle into the actuation position via the lever element, it is designed such that it can be moved entirely with electrical power, and wherein an actuation of the handle disposed in its actuation position opens a vehicle lock.
Door handle assemblies of this type for motor vehicles can be designed as inner or outer handles, wherein the present invention relates to a door handle assembly for an outer handle. There are numerous different constructions and embodiments for such door handle assemblies. The design of a door handle according to the invention relates to such constructions in which the handle mount is attached to the back surface of the door, i.e. on the inside of the motor vehicle. The handle attached to the handle mount normally protrudes outward from the door in such embodiments, and disrupts both the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle as well as the vehicle aerodynamics. In order to avoid this disadvantage, door handle assemblies are known from the prior art, in which the outer surface of the handle runs basically flush to the outer contour of the door, i.e. strake-flush, when the handle is in its standby position. A handle of this type can be transferred into an actuation position for opening the door or a vehicle lock, in which the handle protrudes from the outer contour of the door.
A door handle assembly of the type indicated in the introduction is known, by way of example, for electric automobiles from Tesla Motors Inc. as well as from DE 10 2013 212 198 A1. This known door handle assembly has a handle that is strake-flush when in its standby position, which can be moved in a motor driven manner from the standby position into an actuation position. A handle of this type is preferably used in electric automobiles in which the handle extends exclusively with a power driven drive from its strake-flush standby position, in which the handle is disposed in order to reduce wind resistance, into the actuation position when a legitimized user of the vehicle approaches. As soon as the handle is no longer needed, it retracts back into the standby position and thus disappears into the body, in order to not generate any air resistance. The disadvantage is that the handle can no longer be driven if the motor drive malfunctions, and an opening of the door is nearly impossible, which is quite problematic for safety reasons.
The invention addresses the objective of providing a solution that results in a structurally simple door handle assembly, which can be produced inexpensively, and with which the handle can also be driven when the motor drive malfunctions, and can be actuated in order to open the door.